Grain-elevator



' No. 751,762. PATENT-ED FEB. 9,-1904.

- 0. s. UPHAM.

GRAIN ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1903. NO MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR PHo o-L'nnu, WASHMGY I p 735 W i I E I E AttorvzgsPATENTED FEB. 9, 1904-.

0. s. UPHAM. GRAIN ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR mineaaw PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

.1 s MTM A m H P B U m IE... S N .mm CAT m m P INVENTOR 8 SHEETS-SHEET3- WITNESSES aline with the conveyer.

UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

CHARLES S. UPHAM, OF ODELL, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,762, dated February9, 1904.

Application filed June 3, 1903. Serial No. 159,948. (No model.)

1'0 to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. UPHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Odell, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Elevators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of a novel apparatus forunloading grain from wagons and depositing the same in a granary, bin,or other desired place.

In its organization the apparatus comprises an elevated platform,pivoted sills for tilting the wagon to facilitate discharge of the load,a pivoted conveyer to be turned up out of the way when driving the wagononto the platform and to be lowered into position for receiving thegrain or other commodity, an elevator for receiving the grain orcommodity from the pivoted conveyor for delivery of the grain into thebin, hopper, or other receptaole, and operating mechanism for actuatingthe working parts.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective View of an elevating mechanism embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the dotted lines showing the elevatorwhen shifted so as to Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the dotted linesshowing the position of the sills when tilted so as to dump the grainfrom the wagon into the transverse conveyer. Fig. 4 is a transversesection about on the line X X of Fig. 3 looking to the right, asindicated by the arrow, showing the transverse conveyer in elevation.Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the means for connecting thetransverse shaft at one end of the platform with the longitudinal shaftat one side of said platform and showing the means for operating thepivoted sills. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the means for throwing theshaft for actuating the sills into and out of operation. 7 is a detailview of the means for transmitting motion from the longitudinal shaft tothe conveyer-belts of the transverse conveyor and elevator.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The platform is indicated at 1 and is elevated, and in order tofacilitate transportation the same is mounted upon truck-wheels 2.Inclined approaches 3 are pivoted at opposite ends of the platform forthe ascent and descent of the wagon and team. The platform andapproaches may be of any substantial construction. Longitudinal sills 4are pivoted near one end, as shown at 5, to the platform, so as to tilt,as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, so as to insure automaticdischarge of the grain or load from the wagon when it is required tounload the same. The upper side of the pivoted sills 4. is about flushwith the top side of platform 1. The sills are locked when required bymeans of transverse shaft 6, journaled to platform 1 and provided withcrank portions 7 to engage under an end of the sills, as indicated mostclearly in Fig. 1. The crank-handle 8 is provided at one end of shaft 6to enable convenient turning thereof when looking and releasing thesills. A shaft 9 is located at one end of platform 1 and is arrangedtransversely thereof and in practice is adapted to be connected to anysuitable source of power for imparting movement thereto for driving theworking parts of the mechanism. A longitudinal shaft 10 is located atone side of the platform and is connected to shaft 9 by suitablegearing, so as to rotate therewith. As shown, companion bevel gears 11connect shafts 9 and 10. Bevel gear-wheels 12 and 13 are loosely mountedupon shaft 9 and are provided upon their inner or opposing sides withhalf-clutches 1 k and 15 to match with corresponding half-clutches atthe ends of sleeve 16, slidably mounted upon shaft 9 and keyed forrevolution therewith. Sleeve 16 is adapted to occupy a positionintermediate of the bevel gear-wheels 12 and 13, so as to prevent motionbeing imparted to either of them or to be moved into engagement with oneor the other of the bevel gear-wheels to effect a raising or a loweringof sills 4: in the manner presently to be explained. Bar 17 extendstransversely of the platform and has loose connection with sleeve 16 andis adapted to be operated by hand to effect shifting of sleeve 16, asmay be desired.

A shaft 18 is journaled to platform 1, parallel with shaft 9, and isprovided with drums 19, to which chains or like connections 20 areattached. A worm-gear 21 is secured to shaft 18 and is in mesh withworm-thread 22 of shaft 23, provided at its outer end with bevelgear-wheel 24, in mesh with bevel gear-wheels 12 and 13, so as toreceive motion therefrom when clutched to shaft 9 in the manner stated.Jointed bars 25 and 26 are located below the platform, and the outer endof each bar 25 is pivoted to a part of the platform, and the end of eachbar 26 is provided with roller 27 to travel upon track 28, located belowthe platform and supported thereby. A roller 29 is provided at the jointof the bars 25 and 26 and operated in the space formed between the sillsand a keeper 30 applied thereto. Normally the parts 25, 26, 27, and 29occupy the position about as shown by the full lines in Fig. 3. Each ofthe chains or parts 20 is connected to the outer or free end of each ofthe bars 26, the opposite end being attached to the respective drums 19,so as to wind thereon. Upon throwing shaft 9 into gear with one or theother of the bevel gear wheels 12 or 13 shaft 18 is rotated to wind thechains or flexible connections 20 upon drums 19, thereby drawing thefree ends of bars 26 outward and causing the joint between bars 25 and26 to break upward, whereby sills iaretilted, as indicated by the dottedlines in Fig. 3. hen the sills have reached therequired angle, theclutch is automatically thrown out of gear by the end of one of the bars26 striking stop 31 near the outer end of shipper-bar 32, pivotallyconnected to an arm of elbow-lever 33, the other arm of said elbow-leverhaving loose connection with transverse bar 17. After the load has beendumped and it is required to bring sills L back to a normal orhorizontal position bar 17 is moved in the opposite direction by hand,so as to throw sleeve 16 into engagement with the other bevelgear-wheel, as 12, when shaft '18 will be turned in the oppositedirection, so as to unwind connections 20, thereby permitting bars 25and 26 to straighten. When the sills have reached about a normalposition, the end of the bar 26 will strike stop 34 at the end of bar 32and move same, so as to automatically throw the clutch and shaft 18 outof action.

Conveyor 35 is arranged transversely of platform 1 at one end thereofand is provided with removable sides 36, which flare upwardly,

so as to insure discharge of the load upon the conveyor without wastethereof. The sides 36 are detachably connected to the sides of theconveyer-frame, so as to be removed when not required for use, as wellas to lighten the conveyer when required for any purpose. The conveyeris of ordinary construction and comprises a frame. and an endlesstraveling belt. The conveyer is pivoted at one end to a side of theplatform, so as to be turned into an approximately vertical position toadmit of the wagon and team passing upon the platform. For convenienceof raising and lower ing the conveyer the following means have beenprovided and consist of rope or chain 37 attached at one end to theconveyer 35 and passing over guide-pulley 38, applied to the upper endof post 39,projected vertically from platform 1, the opposite end ofpart 37 being attached to drum 4:0, loose upon shaft 10 and adapted tobe clutched thereon when it is required to wind up rope or chain 37, soas to effect turning upward of the conveyer out of the way. Drum 40 isprovided upon one end with half-clutch 41, adapted to match with acorresponding half-clutch of collar 42, slidable upon shaft 10 and keyedto revolve therewith, said collar being movable by means of lever 6L3.The endless apron of conveyer 35 receives motion from shaft 10 by meansof drivebelt 44:, passed around corresponding pulleys 1' of ordinaryconstruction comprising a frame;

and a traveling conveyer belt or apron. The lower end of the elevator 47is arranged to receive the grain or load from the transverse conveyer 35and is arranged to deliver said load at the required point of discharge,which may be a granary, bin, hopper, or the like. The free end of theelevator is adapted to be raised and lowered, and for this purpose ropeor cable 4:8 is provided and is attached at one end to elevator 47, andits opposite end is adapted to wind upon drum A9, applied to post 50,journaled in arms 51, projected from post 39. Rope or like connection 48passes over direction-pulleys 52 and 53, the former being at the upperend of turn-post 50 and the latter at the upper end of frame 54,projected up from the I around which drive-belt 57 passes fortransmitting motion to pulley 58, secured upon the extended journal ofthe lower roller supporting the traveling belt of elevator 47. The innerend of shaft 55 is connected by belt 59 with shaft 60, connected by abevel-gearing 61 to shaft 10. Belt 59 connects companion pulleys atcorresponding ends of shafts 55 and 60. Obviously connections other thanthose herein set forth may be provided for transmitting motion from theshaft 10 to the traveling belts of the conveyer and elevator.

A conveyer 62 is arranged at the delivery end of the elevator 47 tocarry the grain either to the right or to the left, according as it isrun one way or the other. A drive-belt 63 conveys motion from the shaftat the upper end of the elevator to the shaft 64, upon which is mountedgearing, substantially as shown in Fig. 6, to admit of running the beltof conveyer 62 either to the right or to the left, as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In agrain-elevator, the combination of sills mounted for tilting movement, apowerdriven shaft, a second shaft connected with the sills to efiectpositive tilting thereof, a third shaft connecting the first and secondshafts, a gear-wheel secured to the third shaft, two gear wheels in meshwith the gearwheel applied to the third shaft and loose upon thepower-driven shaft, a clutch for throwing either of the loosegear-wheels into clutched engagement with the power-driven shaft, andmeans for automatically throwing said clutch out of action when thesills reach the limit of their movement in either direction,substantially as set forth. I

2. In a grain-elevator, the combination of sills mounted for tiltingmovement, jointed bars pivoted at one end, means for connecting thejoint to the sills, a support for the free end of the movable bar,actuating mechanism including a clutch for breaking the joint of thebars in either an upward or a downward direction, and means for throwingsaid clutch into and out of action, the latter operation being effectedautomatically by means of a jointed rod, substantially as set forth.

3. In a grain-elevator, the combination of sills mounted for tiltingmovement, jointed bars cooperating with the sills to effect a tiltingthereof, actuating mechanism for said jointed bars including aclutch,means for throwing the clutch into action by hand, and means forautomatically throwing the clutch out of action by said jointed barswhen the sills reach the limit of their movement in either direction,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. UPHAM. [L. 5.]

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. FRIsE, F. LINCOLN HOKE.

